Poison Ivy Preventative/Cure

I grew up getting poison ivy regularly as I played on the poison ivy infested cliffs of Long Island NY.. Stop playing there NEVER, but I devised my own method for dealing with it. SAND.. when I noticed myself brushing up against it, I would just sit and rub sand vigorously all over myself. I figured that Poison Ivy was not water soluable so maybe by using the sand, it would be able to remove the residue.. sure worked good for me.. cut back my outbreaks by 95%. You have take extra care to rub sand between the fingers. (that would usually be the only place I would still get it as I realized I didn't bother too much to rub sand there) Worth a try.. :-) Oh, here is a story to go with it.. Noticing some workers clearing out some brush the was filled with poison ivy, I went over to the man, who was wearing only shorts and shoes and told him he was neck high in poison ivy.. I also told him to go and rub sand all over.. Well this was right at the shore so he immediately sat on the beach and started rubbing himself with sand very zealously.. It was right after this I saw his boss come down to the beach to question the worker as to what in God's name he was doing.. I assumed he told him and away the boss went as the worker continued to scrub.. anyone try sand before?

Unknown to most............... this is the same OIL that is in BRAZILAN PEPPER !!! As well as MANGO !!! Warn any visitors !!!!!!!!!!!!! As a person allergic to all, I appreciate your input. May I also recommend DOMBORO SOLUTION as the best way to diminish itching, moist lesions, inflammation, etc. ........... the best relief I have ever had to contact allergies. I will surely remember the sand as well..... TO ALL........ LET'S IRRATICATE BRAZILIAN PEPPER BEFORE IT BECOMES SOMETHING LIKE WHAT IT IS ..........JUST "EXPECTED" IN THE SUMMER OF THE NORTH !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I researched poison ivy and found a couple of solutions that seem to work for me. The first one is to use straight Palmolvie dish detergent dirctly on the place that was exposed. Leave it on a while. That seems to do the trick.
Also, if you are exposed, I think there is a time window that allows you to wash with soap and water, or even just water and it doesn't take. I think you have at least 15 minutes.

To remove poison ivy in isolated spots, I just take a plastic bag, grocery or newspaper, and put my hand into it and pull the stuff out. Then I pull the bag over the ivy and put it in the garbage can. I have never contracted it doing that.

I just did a little further research: This might help too.

Remedies for Poison Ivy
Rub alcohol to the affected area, then rinse it with water and later wash with soap and water. Wet the infected area and rub plain table salt on it, this will not only relieve the victim but also stop further spread. Rub the inner side of a banana peel on the rash. This will help you to relieve itching. Place the infected area under running water. This will wash away histamines which cause itching of skin. Pour 3 cups of oats into warm water and soak the infected area into it. Simultaneously rub the affected area. Doing this will relieve you of itching. Mix 1/4 cup of bleach with 3/4 cup of warm water and apply to the affected area using a washcloth. This will kill the poison within 2 to 3 days. Apply aloe vera juice over the affected area, this will cool and provide instant relief.
Frankly, I believe Palmolive or Dawn detergent is best because the irritant is an oil, and those detergents BREAK DOWN oils.


Diet for Poison Ivy
Vitamin C taken daily with bioflavonoids will prevent infection, rapid spreading of the rash and heal inflammation. Calcium and Beta-carotene helps to boost the immune system and speeds up healing. Victim must take zinc as it helps to repair damaged skin tissues. Take goldenseal, a root that is native to North America which has been used for centuries in herbal medicine.

GLOR,
Dont know about your polomive thing, I know it does NOT break down capsacicum oil.

I read on another thread that JEWEL WEED will treat poison ivy.

Best;
bluelytes

I use a variation on the sand technique: I take a bath or shower and scrub my body very hard with a loofa sponge or anything else scratchy at the end of the day when I come in from the yard -- even some hours after exposure. I try to avoid exposure to poison ivy, of course, but I am very sensitive to it and I am sure I have not been perfect ion avoiding it. I have never gotten a poison ivy outbreak when I have scrubbed myself. I'm not suggesting you should not worry about touching poison ivy in reliance on this, but if you do brush against poison ivy I would definitely try it. It has worked for me.

I also wash my gardening clothes and gloves as soon as I come in -- I head straight for the washing machine.

If I touch poison ivy, I immediately pull out some Jewelweed, slit the stem(s) with my fingernail and rub the open stem side all over where it touched. (Yes, remember between your fingers). Then I go inside and wash with antibacterial soap, and rinse with alcohol. Seems to work. Jewelweed with help with bug bit itching, also. Karen (liebran)

Genetics is the answer. I must be part caveman, as no member of my family has ever been sensitive to Poison Ivy. We have a lot of it in one yard that is overgrown. Never a problem for us. Our neighbor had constant breakouts until I reminded him that using his bare hand to clean out his big riding mower was also removing the poison ivy. We also have a lot of Pepper Vine. I have heard that some have reactions to it. Is this the same as Brazillian Pepper vine?

trois

There is a great product called Ivy Block that you apply before you go out. Since I have started using it before I go out to remove the poison oak on my back acre, I haven't had an outbreak. Some chain grocery stores carry it and I have also ordered it through amazon.

This has worked for me-
http://www.tecnuextreme.com/

You can buy it at most drug stores around here.

This is intresting. We haven't had too much trouble with the ivy, but last summer when my son visited he found some and his whole leg became inflamed, (he is very sensitive to the ivy) by the next day he had huge blisters and after bumping one blister it split, the next day he had blood poisening and a couple days in the hospital. He recovered nicely and saved his leg, but it was touch and go for a while. He had bad scars. This can be a serious problem for some people. My grandfather said the Native Americans used to eat the plant to become imume to it. He was never brave enough to try!
The jewel weed is wonderful. I use it mostly for nettle. It gives instant releif!!!! It is a wonderful plant. It's other name is "touch me not" because the seed pods explode in your fingers, not because it is harmfull in any way. Spotted jewel weed can be found near nettle usually in the wild. If I had known my son got into the ivy, I would have put the jewel weed on it instantly. The hospital recomended washing with a homemade lye soap as a remedy.

The irritant in poison ivy and mango is urushiol, for Brazilian pepper its capsicum.

For poison ivy and mango, the quickest way to neutralize it is using a 1 to 4 bleach solution. Any clothes in contact with it should be washed in bleach and all gardening implements should be swabbed with bleach.

White vinegar will neutralize capsicum.

Using sand may be good for a quick fix, but the danger there is that you are abrading your skin and any subsequent exposure to any of the above will be much worse than the original.

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I thought the sand could scratch and make things worse too. I will tell my son about the bleach thing. He could take a small bottle along when he canoes next time, it would be an easy thing to have on hand and maybe prevent another problem.

If you know you are going to be working around poison ivy you can acutally spray it with a 1 to 1 bleach solution and it will be safer to work around.

Before anyone jumps in and says it's bad for the ground, it's not. Bleach becomes inert when dry and what does get on the ground is not enough to change the ph level to any significant degree and the first rain will correct any imbalances in the soil.

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